“书虫”是外语教学与研究出版社和牛津大学出版社共同奉献给广大英语学习者的一大精品。书虫在英语中大概是颇可爱的形象。想象一下，有那么一只勤勉的小虫，它如痴如醉地沉迷于书卷，孜孜不倦地咀嚼着字母……
　　如今这只“书虫”漂洋过海，轻盈地落在了中国英语学习者的掌中。“书虫”首先将给你自信，即使你目前只有几百的词汇量，也可以不太费劲地阅览世界名作了。书虫还会用它细细的鸣叫声不停地提醒你：要坚持不懈地读下去，要广泛而丰富地读下去。待到读完丛书系列中的最后一本，你也许会突然发现：你已经如蛹化蝶，振翅欲翔了！

　雅各布斯（1863—1943），是一位短篇小说作家。《猴爪》是他的最有名的小说之一。

　　你可以许三个愿，你可以要世界上存在的三样东西，你的愿望将变为现实。你会说，“这在现实世界是不可能发生的。”那么，好好想想吧。你能要什么？你想要什么？
　　当你许愿的时候，这仅仅是个开始。当你改变了一样东西，接着你会改变世界上的每一样东西。一个变化引起另一个变化。谁又能知道这些变化又将在哪里结束？
　　在这个故事中，怀特一家可以许三个愿，但他们犯了一个小小的错误。他们的一个愿望变成了现实。接着，顷刻间，他们的生活陷入了一场可怕的恶梦……

Chapter 1
1
Chapter 2
2
Chapter 3
3
Chapter 4
4
Chapter 5
5
Chapter 6
6
Chapter 7
7
Exercises

　　It was cold and dark out in the road and the rain did not stop for a minute．But in the little living-room of number 12 Castle Road it was nice and warm．Old Mr White and his son，Herbert，played chess and Mrs White sat and watched them．The old woman was happy because her husband and her son were good friends and they liked to be together．‘Herbert's a good son，’she thought．‘We waited a long time for him and I was nearly forty when he was born，but we are a happy family.’And old Mrs White smiled.
　　It was true．Herbert was young and he laughed a lot，but his mother and his father laughed with him．They had not got much money，but they were a very happy little family.
　　The two men did not talk because they played carefully．The room was quiet，but the noise of the rain was worse now and they could hear it on the windows．Suddenly Old Mr White looked up．‘Listen to the rain！’he said.
　　‘Yes，it's a bad night，’Herbert answered．‘It's not a good night to be out．But is your friend，Tom Morris，coming tonight？’
　　‘Yes，that's right．He's coming at about seven o'clock，’the old man said．‘But perhaps this rain…’
　　Mr White did not finish because just then the young man heard a noise.
　　‘Listen！’Herbert said．‘There's someone at the door now.’
　　‘I didn't hear a noise，’his father answered，but he got up from his chair and went to open the front door．Mrs White got up too and began to put things away.
　　Mr White said，'Come in，come in，Tom．It's wonderful to see you again．What a bad night！Give me your coat and then come into the living-room．It's nice and warm in there.’
　　The front door was open，and in the living-room Mrs White and Herbert felt the cold．Then Mr White came back into the living-room with a big，red-faced man.
　　‘This is Tom Morris，’Mr White told his wife and son．‘We were friends when we were young．We worked together before Tom went to India．Tom，this is my wife and this is our son，Herbert.’
　　‘Pleased to meet you，’Tom Morris said.
　　‘Pleased to meet you，Mr Morris，’Mrs White answered．‘Please come and sit down.’
　　‘Yes，come on，Tom，’Mr White said．‘Over here．It's nice and warm.’
　　‘Thank you，’the big man answered and he sat down.
　　‘Let's have some whisky，’Old Mr White said．‘You need something to warm you on a cold night.’He got out a bottle of whisky and the two old friends began to drink and talk．The little family listened with interest to this visitor from far away and he told them many strange stories.

　　他的父亲答道，“我没有听到声音。”但他还是从椅子上起来去开门，怀特太太也站起来开始收拾东西。
　　怀特先生说，“汤姆，快请进，快请进。又见到你真高兴。多么糟糕的夜晚！把外套给我，到客厅里去，那儿暖和。”
　　前门打开了，客厅里的怀特太太和赫伯特感觉到一阵寒气。怀特先生领着一位高大的红脸汉子回到了起居室。
　　“这是汤姆·莫里斯，”怀特先生告诉他的太太和儿子，“我们年轻的时候是好朋友，在汤姆去印度之前我们在一起工作过。汤姆，这是我太太，这是我们的儿子，赫伯特。”
　　“很高兴见到你们，”汤姆·莫里斯说。
　　“我们也很高兴见到你，莫里斯先生。”怀特太太答道，“请过来坐下吧。”
　　“对，过来，汤姆，到这儿来，这儿舒服暖和一点。”怀特先生说。
　　“谢谢你。”高大的汉子答应着坐下了。
　　“我们喝一点威士忌吧，”老怀特先生说，“这样寒冷的夜晚，你需要一点东西暖和暖和身子。”他拿出一瓶威士忌，两位老朋友边喝边谈。这个小家庭饶有兴趣地倾听着这位来自远方的造访者告诉他们许多离奇的故事。
　　不知过了多长时间，汤姆·莫里斯停止了交谈。怀特先生告诉他太太和儿子，“汤姆到印度服兵役有21年了。印度是一个非常有趣的国家。”
　　“是的，”赫伯特说，“我想去那儿。”
　　“哦，赫伯特！”他母亲惊叫起来。她非常害怕，因为她不想失去儿子。